Half to james d



573,946. Patentd Dec. 29, '1896. k

(N0 Model.)

I. G'. WILLIAMS.

FLUE CLEANER.

A 1 W I lN VEIVIOR 1 2 8 1 fi ollb'arms man, wAsmNsrcm n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. WILLIAMS, OF BELLEFONTE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO JAMES D. SEIBERT, OF SAME PLACE.

FLU E-CLEAN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,946, dated December 29, 1896. Application filed April 1, 1896. Serial No. 585,788. \No model.)

To all whom, it may cancer/1,: v

Be it known that I, FRANK O. WVILLIAMS, residing at Bellefonte, in the county of Gentre and State of Pennsylvania-have invented a new and Improved Flue-Gleaner, of which the following is a specification. y This invention relates generally to flue or pipe cleaners, and more particularly to an internal cleaner for cutting away the scales or IO incrustations which form upon the interior of the boiler flues or pipes.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheap and simple form of flue-cleaner which can be used upon either straight or curved I 5 flue boilers, and one which can be operated by either a rod or chain, as circumstances may require.

Another object is to provide an improved flue-cleaner which will rotate in its passage through the flue, thereby eifectively removing all of the scales from the interior of the flue or pipe.

Another object is to provide a flue-cleaner which is adjustable, or eXpansible and contractible, so that the cleaner can be used in I connection with pipes of different sizes.

Another object is to provide a flue-cleaner which shall be pivot-ally connected with the operating rod or chain, so that said cleaner can revolve within the tube or flue while the rod or chain is held within the hand.

Another object is to provide a flue-cleaner carrying a series of independently-rotating cutter-wheels adapted to cut or break up the scales upon the interior of the tube or flue;

and another object is to arrange said cutterwheels in spiral, zigzag, or staggered order, in order to cause arotation of the cleaner as it is drawn back and forth through the tube With these various objects in view my invention consists in the peculiar construction of the Various parts and in their novel combination or arrangement, all of which are shown in the drawings, fully set forth in the description, and pointed outin the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a View showing the invention in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention, showing the same attached to a chain and adapted for cleaning a curved Fig. 3 is a sectional view of such cleaner attached to a rod and adapted for cleaning a straight flue. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line at 4 of Fig. 1.

In constructinga flue-cleaner in accordance with my invention Iemploy a bolt or rod A, having a shouldered head B at one end, the opposite end being threaded, as shown at O. A collar D is arranged upon the bolt or rod A adjacent to thehead B, a coil-spring E being arranged between the end of said collar and the said head and surrounding the rod or bolt at that point, said collar having a depending flange d, which fits over the head B.

A collar F is screwed upon the threaded end of the bolt or rod A, and upon the we treme end of said bolt or rod is screwed the lock nut or cap G. The head B and the cap G are each provided with apertures b and g, respectively, whereby a link H may be attached, and to which link a chain or rod can be connected, as hereinafter explained.

The collars D and F are each provided with 7 5 perforated ears or lugs I, to which are pivotally attached the parallel toggle-arms K by means of bolts or rivets 76, there being four pairs of ears and four pairs of parallel togglearms, the said toggle-arms having a knuckle or joint K about midway their length.

As before stated, the toggle arms or levers are arranged in parallel pairs, and between the said parallel members are pivotally mounted the rotary cutters L, said cutters being mount- 8 5 ed upon a bolt or spindle Z, the periphery of said cutter being transversely serrated, as most clearly shown, in order to cut or break the scale or incrustation upon the interior of the flue or tube.

In practice I prefer to make the edges of the rotary cutter very sharp, somewhat in the shape of an ax-bit. V

The members of the toggle arms or levers, although arranged parallel, are also bent in a 5 zigzag or staggered form, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and by means of this arrange ment the cutters are held at an angle oblique to the line of draft, and, furthermore, lie in different but parallel oblique planes, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3.

By the above-described arrangement of the cutters the cleaner will be caused to rotate as it is drawn through the flue, causing each cutter to describe a spiral path, and as said fines are arranged close together and in parallel order it is clear that the interior of the flue or tube will be completely acted upon.

The nut or cap G prevents the collar F from moving outward, and the normal tendency of the spring E is to throw the collar D inward, thereby spreading the toggle arms or levers and forcing the rotary cutters into cont-act with the interior of the flue or tube, and as said clean er is drawn back and forth through the tube it is clear that the rotary cutters will always be held in contact with the interior face, as before described.

The operating-handle M is connected to the link H by means of a swivel m, so that as said rod is moved back and forth to force the cleaner through the tube said rod can be held firmly in the hand while the cleaner rotates within the tube, asbefore mentioned.

In operation the'cleaner isforced back-and forth through the tube several times,thereb y cutting away the scale orincrustation, which can be easily removed by a'brush or by forcing Water through the flue or tube.

By attaching a chain to the cleaner it is clear that a curved'flue or tube can be cleaned as readily as astraight one with the handle or rod attached thereto.

It will thus be seenthat I provide an exceedingly simple and efficient construction-of flue-cleaner, one which will cut away or removea'll of the'incrustation or scale upon the interior of a hue, and one which can be readily adjusted to suit flues or tubes of different sizes. It will also be noted that'the togglearms carrying the rotary cutters are norm ally expanded by spring-pressure,thereby insuring a positive'contact or cutting action between the said cutters and the interior of the flue or tube. It will also be noted that parallel zigzag or staggered arrangement of the rotary cutters insures a rapid rotation of the cleaner during its passage through the tube 0r flue.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

1. An improved cleaner comprising a central bolt or rod, the zigzag toggle-arms the collars to which said arms are connected, and the rotating cutters carried by said arms,

substantially as shown and described.

2. In a flue-cleaner the combination with the central rod or bolt having the head at one end and threaded at the opposite end, the collars arranged upon said bolt, the parallel zigzag toggle arms or levers, the rotary cutters pivoted in said arms or levers, the coils'pring and the screw-cap all arranged substantially as shown and described.

In a flue-cleaner, the combination with the central rod or bolt having a head at one end and threaded at the other end, the collars arranged upon said bolt, the coil-spring arranged between one of the said collars and the head of bolt, the screwcap or nut arranged upon the opposite'end-of bolt, swivel connection attached to said cap or nut, the

. 'toggle'arms or levers composed of parallel zigzag members pivotally connected to the said collars and having a knuckle'or jointand the serrated rotary-cutters pivotally mounted bet-ween the members upon both sides of the knuckle or joint substantiallyas shown and described. 7 7

FRANK 'C. WILLIAMS. Witnesses: Y

W. A. GoonwrN, THOMAS FAXoN. 

